Throwing Punches
Day 4, evening
Connor
I don’t care what anyone says, those two blowhards got exactly what they fucking deserved! They were just fracking lucky that Jai took it so god damn easy on them. Next time they decide to pull a friggin stunt like that they’re going to get more than a swift kick to the groin, that’s for god damn sure!
Connor (an hour later)
Ok, now that I’ve calmed down a little I’m going to try to relay what happened as accurately as I can. If you weren’t there I’m sure that you’ve already heard one version or another of what happened, although if one of Reye’s cronies told you about it you better believe you got a biased recounting of the event. Now, I admit that I’m biased too (Jaisa is, after all, my daughter), but I assure you that this is the most truthful account that you’re going to get. Why? Because, frankly, Jaisa’s actions were completely justified. I don’t have to lie, unlike Buchanan and Reye. Ok, so, what just happened?
It was a while after sunset and Jai and I had just collected the twins from the Parkers’ daycare. Emily Parker and Maylin Yamasak joined us, as Aya and Arra were the last two kids there (Liza had already went ahead with Karyn and their parents). After we got our food we all went and sat with the Parkers and Yamasaks. The meal was going fine, though everyone was a bit subdued from Thompson’s death last night. The slackers sat off by themselves, as usual, though they seemed to be a bit more agitated than usual and certainly took a few more glances in our direction than they normally would. Maybe that should have tipped me off, I don’t know.
After a bit Jai and Emily got up to refill their water and as they did Buchanan and Reye got up as well. That did tip me off that something was going to happen, though I never thought that those two would choose to get physical so all I did was turn around in my chair to watch. They seemed much more of the arrogant verbal abuse type. Maybe all these days with absolutely no physical activity had gotten to them. Maybe Reye was still smarting from getting his ass knocked down by Kara the other day. Whatever it was, they apparently decided to pick on someone they thought they could push around. Big mistake.
The dumbass duo walked in front of the girls, blocking them from getting to the bar. Jaisa sighed. “Yes? Was there something?” she asked.
“Yeah, there was. You seem awful glib for someone who just cost a man his life.” Reye said.
“Say what now?” I could tell Jaisa already realized what they were talking about. We had talked about the same thing last night – she had been kicking herself for not catching any of the electric plants in her survey. After we figured out which were which earlier today (with myself, Sin, Jai, the two Yamasak girls and several others combing the entire area we had previously searched) we realized how they had been missed. The two smaller, flowerlike ones had been pulled up by their roots on the initial pass (thus bypassing the mechanism) and Jai had been lucky enough to clip a branch off of the shrub without brushing any stray leaves. But that certainly didn’t stop the slackers from jumping to conclusions and flinging accusations.
“You heard me young lady. You were in charge of finding the dangerous plants and you didn’t,” Buchanan shouted, stabbing his pudgy little finger at her. “That means that you killed him!” I got up and took a step towards them, but Jai quietly motioned me to stay back.
“I have killed men,” she said quietly, “but I am not responsible for his death. Here,” she motioned towards an empty table, “let’s sit d-”
“And what about y-” Reye started. His hand had just started to extend out towards Emily when Jaisa’s fist shot out, slamming into his wrist. He couldn’t have gotten it more than a couple inches before she intercepted it. I had never seen her move so fast.
“DON’T!” she bellowed. “Don’t even think-” she was interrupted by Buchanan sneering and lunging for the slowly backing up Emily. Almost before he started moving he was on his back, curled up, face contorted in pain. Jai’s knee hammered into his groin as her elbow connected with his face. She was crouched over him, hand around his throat before I think he even realized she had moved. She started whispering fast to him – I don’t know what she said, but even in as much pain as he was you could see the color drain from his face.
Reye, in a move that could only be described as monumentally stupid, made for her back. I grabbed the back of his neck and sent him skidding into an empty table. I honestly did him a favor by not letting him reach his destination, but I don’t think he sees it that way.
“Do NOT mess with my little girl,” I roared.
Jaisa let go of Buchanan’s throat and slowly backed away. The whole episode, from Reye making the (rather enormous) mistake of trying to shove Emily to him sliding unceremoniously into the table, took two, maybe three seconds. A few of the slacker cronies had started moving towards Jai and I (Emily was back at the table with her parents), prompting Andy and Ash to step in (they had come in the side entrance a moment after Buchanan started yelling).
“Stop now! If any of you spineless roach eaters take one more step your ass is done!” Andy barked in his best drill instructor mode.
“Yall don’t want an old fashion ass whoopin to go down in here, do yall?” Ash drawled. The slackers gathered up Reye and Buchanan and slunk out of the tent.
It was dead quiet for a second, and then everyone started talking at once. Jai left the tent with Emily running after her and JJ and Linda following her as I gathered up the girls and left as well, with Andy and Ash not far behind.